November 27, 2017

Great Britain Gets Serious About Launch (Source: Space Review)
Despite the large number of small launch vehicle efforts underway globally, the British space industry sees an opportunity to develop and launch such vehicles from the country. Jeff Foust reports on a recent conference that discussed some of the vehicles under development and efforts by the British government to support them with funding and regulation. Click here. (11/27)
 
Japan Signals Growing Support for Deep Space Gateway Concept (Source: Space Daily)
The Land of the Rising Sun hopes to be able to put its astronauts on the moon sometime during the 2020s as part of an international program to build a space station in the moon's orbit. Tokyo believes that contributing to the multinational mission and sharing Japanese technology in water and air purification and to protecting astronauts from radiation will land it a spot at the station, from where it could eventually put an astronaut on the moon and boost Japan's status as a space power.

NASA, together with other leading space agencies, is going to launch the construction of a modular station orbiting the moon sometime in the early 2020s as part of an ambitious project of sending astronauts beyond the International Space Station, Iomiuri wrote.

If the leading space agencies of Europe, Canada, Russia and Japan, now working together at the International Space Station, join the Deep Space Gateway program in exchange for contributing their space modules and transport ships, they could be able to send their astronauts to the future station in the moon's orbit. (11/27)

International Cooperation and Competition in Space (Source: Space Review)
In the concluding part of his analysis on the benefits and drawbacks of cooperation and competition in space, Cody Knipfer offers some examples of how such efforts would work on projects ranging from human missions to the Moon to greater engagement with China. Click here. (11/27)
 
A Failed Company and an Uncertain Market (Source: Space Review)
Earlier this month XCOR Aerospace filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection, bringing a likely end to the suborbital spaceflight company. Jeff Foust reports on the fall of XCOR and its implications for the suborbital industry. Click here. (11/27)
 
Party of One: Why We’re Still Alone in the Universe (Source: Space Review)
Astronomers have been scanning the sky for more than half a century to look for signals for alien civilizations, without success. Michael Morgan proposes some reasons why that’s the case in a universe that is likely teeming with life. Click here. (11/27)

Does the Outer Space Treaty at 50 Need a Rethink (Source: Space Daily)
As more private enterprises turns their gaze toward outer space, there are certain international limitations that leave many questions unanswered so that private entrepreneurship is is effectively paralyzed. When the US and the USSR engaged in a nuclear weapons race, there was a real possibility that doomsday weapons would go to outer space and, eventually, to the moon.

In order to prevent the Cold War from turning into Star Wars madness, several international treaties were signed, whose regulations remain in effect to this day. But these treaties, which discussed theoretical possibilities, are faced with pretty practical - albeit peaceful - incentives. More companies are interested in doing business beyond the low orbit around Earth, and legislative basis for such activity is uncertain, leading to questions raised by governments and tech giants alike. (11/27)

China 'Leads World' in Remote Sensing Technology (Source: Space Daily)
China is now the world leader in remote sensing technologies for scientific purposes and is able to provide an unprecedented amount of data to support research and development for the world, officials said. Remote sensing refers to aerial or satellite-based technologies to detect and measure objects on Earth's surface, atmosphere and oceans.

In late October, China launched the world's first 30-meter resolution global land data sets for 2015. Thirty-meter-resolution means a pixel on the map is equal to a 30-meter by 30-meter square, hence it is 100 times clearer than the 300-meter resolution typically used in global landscape mapping, Wang said. "These new maps and data allow scientists and officials to get a deeper understanding of the environment, discover potential issues and create more effective planning and polices," Wang said. (11/27)

China's GPS Network Beidou Joins Global Rescue Data Network (Source: Space Daily)
China's domestically developed navigation satellite system Beidou has been included in a global network that collects and distributes data for search and rescue missions, the Ministry of Transport said. Beidou will be part of the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme, a nonprofit, intergovernmental and humanitarian cooperative with 44 members, including the United States, Canada, Russia and China.

The inclusion comes after a ministry delegation submitted the Chinese system's technology and launch plan for search and rescue to the program during the 31st Cospas-Sarsat Council meeting in late October in Montreal, Canada. "The move will enhance Beidou's global capability to search for and rescue people in distress, showing China has carried out its responsibilities in global humanitarianism in accordance with international conventions," Wu Chungeng, a ministry spokesman, said. (11/27)

Rocket Maker SpaceX Raises Another $100 Million (Source: Reuters)
Elon Musk-led SpaceX has raised $100 million by selling shares, in an extension to a financing round earlier this year that raised up to $350 million, a regulatory filing showed on Monday. SpaceX’s funding round in July had valued the rocket maker at about $21 billion, according to news reports. (11/27)

Space: A Branded Galaxy (Source: Medium)
Space. Globally it’s worth $329 billion and in the last four years there has been $4.2 billion dollars in private investment — humankind’s outlook towards space is skyrocketing. In today’s age of fake news, and global stress levels at a historical high, we are constantly on the search for a better tomorrow. And in such trialling times, space sparks awe, fuels aspiration, and is a symbol of positivity and escapism.

The visionary mindset and provenance of space is an ingredient that brands across different verticals and industries are increasingly tapping into, transforming an intangible, far-out world into a desired experience on earth. The aesthetics, innovation, technology and design of space is rapidly permeating culture, creating exciting opportunities for brands to look up to the sky for storytelling inspiration.

Take Coca Cola’s investment in small satellite company OneWeb, which has allowed the brand to expand its global footprint and more appropriately manage its remote locations with internet access and supply chain management. Yep, there’s a Coca-Cola satellite looking down on us as we speak. Click here. (11/26)

British Company Reveals Details About its Smallsat Launch Vehicle (Source: Space News)
A British company has released new details about a small satellite launch vehicle it expects to have ready in the next few years, part of a growing number of ventures seeking to build and launch rockets from the country. The head of Orbex said the company was making good progress in the development of a launch vehicle designed for launching small satellites primarily into polar orbits. Orbex is working on a small launch vehicle that will be capable of placing up to 165 kilograms into polar orbits from a launch site on the north coast of Scotland. That site, he said, provides “a lot of sea” for launches to the north.

Orbex has been focusing on the development of a 6,750-pounds-force engine, incorporating components made with additive manufacturing, for the vehicle. The engine has been fired 45 times, he said, including a recent test where the engine shut down prematurely, as intended.

That engine is a key part of the effort by Orbex to reduce the mass of the vehicle. “One of the dirty little secrets of microlaunchers is they’re heavy,” he said. “We currently have a patent pending on a new architecture that removes about 30 percent of the inert mass of the vehicle.” Besides the use of composite materials, he said the vehicle will use six engines in its first stage, less than other similar small launchers in development. (11/26)

Judge Trims 'Space Tourist' Claims Over $30M Deposit (Source: Law360)
Wealthy investor Herald McPike of QuantRes in May 2017 sued Zero-Gravity Holdings and its principals, Eric Anderson and Thomas Shelly in a Breach of Contract dispute regarding McPike's deposit of $30 million for an orbital space tourism experience. Anderson and Shelly operate Space Adventures Inc., the company that has organized flights to the Mir and International Space Station for almost a dozen private citizens.

A Virginia federal judge Tuesday whittled down McPike’s suit alleging that Space Adventures fooled him into agreeing to pay a $30 million nonrefundable deposit on false pretenses. The judge rejected McPike’s conversion and unjust enrichment charges while letting stand allegations of fraud and breach of contract. (11/27)

Russia Overtakes US, China in Hypersonic Missile Race (Source: International Business Times)
Russia is the latest nation to join the hypersonic race, with its defence bosses declaring that the country now has military weapons capable of flying up to eight times the speed of sound. Viktor Bondarev, head of Russia's defence council, said on Tuesday that Russia now has the Zircon missile, which was in development for the last 20 years. The weapon has the speed of Mach 8 and was tested in June on Backfire bombers and ground-based missile launchers.

Introduced in 1995, the Zircon or Tsirkon missile is capable of blasting enemy ships in the water and flying 250 miles at the speed of 6,138 mph. It can now be fitted in warships, submarines, missile launchers and planes coming from Russia. It is exponentially more powerful than the current Royal Navy missile interceptors, which have the capability of stopping weapons coming at Mach 3 speed. This development catapults Russia to the lead in the arms race among US, China and Russia. (11/26)

Embry-Riddle University In Daytona Introduces New Spacesuit Testing Laboratory (Source: WNDB)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach has introduced its new SUIT (Spacesuit Utilization of Innovative Technology) Laboratory. Students at Embry-Riddle now have the opportunity to experience first-hand what it feels like to wear a spacesuit in suborbital space flight. They are able to wear a pressurized spacesuit in the new laboratory to emulate how astronauts move during missions and test spacesuit designs.

“I feel like I’m in a big cement box. It’s really hard to move. I thought I’d have a lot more range of motion,” said Peyton Schwartz, an Embry-Riddle junior who participated in a spaceflight training program, Project PoSSUM, in October. “I can visualize more things now that I have that experience,” said Schwartz. In the lab, students test benchmarks in the spacesuits for the industry to analyze. In spacesuits, students test arm movements such as flexion, extension, abduction and adduction and intravehicular and extravehicular maneuvers as well. (11/26)

NASA Promotes Small Business Involvement in SLS Rocket Development (Source: NASA)
The vision of the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) at NASA Headquarters is to promote and integrate all small businesses into the competitive base of contractors that pioneers the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research. Click here. (11/26)

Report Lays Out Potential Changes to WFIRST to Reduce its Cost (Source: Space News)
An independent review board for NASA’s next flagship astronomy mission concluded in its final report that the project is “not executable” without additional funding or adjustments to the spacecraft. NASA released the report, a 65-page document in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, Nov. 22, a month after the agency published its response calling for a reduction in the proposed cost of the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) and changes to its management. Click here. (11/276)

NASA’s Next Flagship Telescope is “Not Executable” in its Current Form (Source: Ars Technica)
First came the Hubble Space Telescope. Now, NASA is finalizing development of the James Webb Space Telescope for launch in 2019. And finally, the space agency is beginning to design and develop its next great space telescope, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, or WFIRST.

This instrument will have a primary mirror of 2.4 meters, the same size as the Hubble's, and be designed to hunt for dark energy and spy on exoplanets. Although similar in size to Hubble, the WFIRST telescope's infrared instrument would have a field of view that is 100 times greater than the Hubble, allowing it to observe much more of the sky in less time. It was also supposed to carry a special coronagraph, which could block the light of stars and allow astronomers to observe exoplanets directly.

But a new report—released without fanfare on the Wednesday before the Thanksgiving holiday—calls into question the viability of the project. "The risks to the primary mission of WFIRST are significant and therefore the mission is not executable without adjustments and/or additional resources," the report states. It estimated the cost of the project at $3.9 billion to $4.2 billion, significantly above the project's $3.6 billion budget. (11/27)

NASA to Measure Orbital Debris Around Space Station (Source: Hindustan Times)
NASA is set to launch a sensor on December 4 to measure orbital debris around the International Space Station. Research from this investigation -- set to travel on a SpaceX cargo mission -- could help lower the risk to human life and critical hardware by orbital debris, NASA said. Mounted on the exterior of the ISS, the Space Debris Sensor (SDS) will directly measure the orbital debris environment around the space station for two to three years. (11/27)

US Company All Set to Brew Beer on Mars (Source: IOL)
Imagine how it would be if you can enjoy a chilled beer on Mars? US-based brewing company Anheuser-Busch is all set to make "Budweiser" the first brand of beer on the Red Planet. Budweiser is upholding its commitment, announced earlier this year at an event "South by Southwest" that "it would create a beer suitable for drinking in space... and when people get there they will toast on Budweiser...", the company said in a statement this week. (11/27)

The Inside Scoop on Elon Musk’s Plan to Make “Insurance for Life as We Know It” (Source: Futurism)
hile Elon Musk’s hopeful vision for spreading the human species across the solar system and beyond may be ambitious, to put it lightly, he is not completely alone in his support for such efforts. NASA has released a 35-page plan outlining the potential for humankind to live on both Earth and Mars, and the UAE has plans to establish a Martian colony by 2117. Click here. (11/22)

High-School Physics at Core of Florida's Future in Aerospace (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The most important problems facing the pipeline for science and engineering students at the high-school level in Florida have little to do with glitzy rocket competitions and much more to do with what goes on in high school science and math classrooms. The American Society for Engineering Education says that students who might consider college majors in engineering fields should take chemistry, physics and calculus (or at least pre-calculus) in high school.

I teach introductory physics for students majoring in engineering, computer science and the physical sciences at Florida State University, and this is what I see: One-third of the students in my class this semester did not take a physics course in high school. Those students are at higher risk for failure. In fact, this situation is getting worse statewide. The number of students taking physics in Florida’s district high schools dropped 5 percent during the last two years.

In my advising work, I meet students who would have liked to be engineering majors but who end up being placed in the low-level “college algebra” class at FSU because they did not gain the math skills in high school necessary to earn a spot in a calculus class here. Those students are pretty much banished from the engineering pipeline the day they walk onto campus. (11/21)

Watch NASA’s Mesmerizing New Visualization of the 2017 Hurricane Season (Source: Science News)
How do you observe the invisible currents of the atmosphere? By studying the swirling, billowing loads of sand, sea salt and smoke that winds carry. A new simulation created by scientists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., reveals just how far around the globe such aerosol particles can fly on the wind.

The complex new simulation , powered by supercomputers, uses advanced physics and a state-of-the-art climate algorithm known as FV3 to represent in high resolution the physical interactions of aerosols with storms or other weather patterns on a global scale (SN Online: 9/21/17). Using data collected from NASA’s Earth-observing satellites, the simulation tracked how air currents swept aerosols around the planet from August 1, 2017, through November 1, 2017. Click here. (11/20)

UFO Spotting: Google Earth Mystery Solved as Old NASA Footage Resurfaces (Source: Zee News)
The existence of extraterrestrial life has been a topic of heated debate for years. While many UFO/alien hunters are confident about alien existence, there are also those who deny it. 2017 has been quite an eventful year when it comes to incidents of UFO spotting. While there have been no solid explanations for many of them, at least one mystery has been solved.

Reports of a UFO spotted in Google Maps and Google Earth photographs had been doing the rounds. A mysterious shape in the middle of a field had sparked questions. A large triangle with bright lights evenly placed around it had been seen in Australia at coordinates 30°30'38.44"S 115°22'56.03"E. The 'UFO' is actually the Alvernia Studios, used for films, as well as features for video games and music projects. (11/26)

NASA to Test Antibiotic Resistance of E. Coli Bacteria in Space (Source: I4U News)
NASA has designed an experiment to see antibiotic effectiveness on E.coli bacteria under microgravity conditions of space. The experiment will be conducted inside a shoebox size spacecraft called CubeSat. The spacecraft contains a miniature biology lab where samples of E.coli will be treated with different concentrations of antibiotics and their responses will be observed by the researchers.

Like other bacteria, E. coli may experience stress in microgravity. This stress triggers defense systems in the bacteria, making them resilient against antibiotics. Bacteria on Earth also develop a similar resistance to antibiotic treatments. The findings may have implications for more effective treatments against bacterial infections both on Earth and space. E. coli, in this case, is responsible for urinary tract infection and astronauts can suffer it in space alongside other types of infections.

“Beyond low-Earth orbit, the compounding human health effects of microgravity and space radiation will require more knowledge about how biology reacts to the space environment,” said Stevan Spremo, project manager for the mission at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. "Lessons learned in this experiment will serve as a stepping stone for more advanced biological CubeSat missions, answering critical questions.”

Start Tracking Satellites with This Low-Cost Azimuth-Elevation Positioner (Source: Hackaday)
Tracking satellites and the ISS is pretty easy. All you really need is an SDR dongle or a handheld transceiver, a simple homebrew antenna, and a clear view of the sky. Point the antenna at the passing satellite and you’re ready to listen, or if you’re a licensed amateur, talk. But the tedious bit is the pointing. Standing in a field or on top of a tall building waving an antenna around gets tiring, and unless you’re looking for a good arm workout, limits the size of your antenna. Which is where this two-axis antenna positioner could come in handy.

While not quite up to the job it was originally intended for — positioning a 1.2-meter dish antenna — [Manuel] did manage to create a pretty capable azimuth-elevation positioner for lightweight antennas. What’s more, he did it on the cheap — only about €150. His design seemed like it was going in the right direction, with a sturdy aluminum extrusion frame and NEMA23 steppers. But the 3D-printed parts turned out to be the Achille’s heel.

At the 1:40 mark in the video below (in German with English subtitles), the hefty dish antenna is putting way too much torque on the bearings, delaminating the bearing mount. But with a slender carbon-fiber Yagi, the positioner shines. The Arduino running the motion control talks GS232, so it can get tracking data directly from the web to control the antenna in real time. Click here. (11/26)

Canadian Fireball Was a Spent Antares Rocket (Source: Inquisitr)
A mysterious fireball was spotted in the sky over Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada on Friday. The spectacular illumination amazed thousands of people in the region, who speculated this object to be a comet/meteor, a burning plane, or even aliens. Several eyewitnesses said they felt scared to see this sight. On Saturday, the American Meteor Society (AMS) revealed that this mysterious object was neither a comet nor any alien vehicle. Rather, it was the spent body of the Antares supply rocket that was predicted to make a reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere on Friday. (11/26)

Out-of-This-World Space Careers You can Have Without Leaving Earth (Source: ABC.Au)
Becoming a NASA astronaut or going to Mars is often the first thing people think about when it comes to having a space career. But, while there are more astronaut training opportunities than ever, actual openings for space travel are still limited. The truth is there's so much more on offer when it comes to space jobs. And it's worth considering some of the Earth-based space jobs now available, many of which are here because of cheaper satellite technology and a boom in private space industry funding. Click here. (11/26)

That Interstellar Asteroid is Pretty Strange. Could It Be…? (Source: Discover)
It isn’t aliens. It’s never aliens. That’s the only sensible answer whenever astronomers spot something truly weird in space. That unusual radio blip from the planet Ross 128b? Not aliens. Potential SETI signal SHGb02+14a? Not aliens. The mysterious ‘alien megastructure’ star? Probably not aliens, either. There are so many unexplored natural explanations for unusual phenomena, and so many ways to make errors, that the starting assumption has to be no, no, a thousand times no, it is not aliens.

We didn’t get much of a chance to study it, unfortunately. By the time `Oumuamua was discovered it was already past the sun, on its way back to the stars and off into the darkness. Astronomers at the world’s major observatories rushed to see what they could learn from it. They began amazing, rapid-fire studies. And what they found was…rather odd. It’s shaped like a fat cigar, or maybe more like a fire extinguisher–an apt point of comparison, since the asteroid is also very red, similar to some of the objects in our solar system’s distant Kuiper Belt but also broadly similar to some metallic asteroids.

First, there could be the obvious giveaways. It might be emitting radio signals or some other artificially modulated form of radiation. (We didn’t see that.) It might adjust its course in some way. (We didn’t see any deviation from a normal gravitational path.) Then the chatter moved on to more elusive speculations. Could this be a dead, abandoned spaceship? Could it perhaps be instrumented but not actively powered? Click here. (11/23)

Discovery of Cigar-Shaped Asteroid Could Help Unveil Secrets of Extrasolar Worlds (Source: The Conversation)
It came from outer space … and went back there two weeks later, having astonished and excited astronomers and planetary scientists. A cigar-shaped object, less than half a kilometre long and barely bright enough to be detected by the world’s most powerful telescopes, payed us a flying visit in October this year – reminding us that the heavens still hold plenty of surprises.

'Oumuamua has an odd shape – about 800 metres long and ten times as long as it is wide. And although its hyperbolic orbit originally led observers to conclude that it was a comet, additional images showed no trace of a comet tail, and it was reclassified as an interstellar asteroid. It is likely comprised of rock and perhaps metals. Spectra, images of light captured from an object and spread out according to its wavelengths, reveal that its surface is reddish. This is the case for both some comets or a certain class of asteroids (D-class).

Planetary scientists study comets and asteroids because they are almost unchanged records of the material from which the solar system formed. Carbon-rich meteorites derived from certain asteroids contain organic matter that, when delivered to Earth by impact in the earliest days of terrestrial history, could have been the precursor material from which life developed. Such meteorites also contain small quantities of interstellar organics from reactions in the interstellar medium. (11/21)

NewSpace Investments Could Start to Pay Off Soon (Source: Via Satellite)
The commercial satellite industry is on the cusp of seeing a slew of exits from former NewSpace startups, according to Seraphim Capital Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Boggett. In an interview with Via Satellite, Boggett pointed to the growing sum of venture-backed capital in the space industry as evidence that a number of young companies are rapidly accelerating toward maturity.

The team at Seraphim Capital — a venture fund that focuses exclusively on space technology — has kept a close eye on the space investment ecosystem over the last few years. According to their Seraphim Space Index, venture capitalists poured more than $3 billion into space technology between October 2016 and September 2017. The index noted that the amount of total capital has steadily increased quarter-over-quarter, and most likely, that number will continue to trend upward as investor appetite in space flourishes, Boggett said.

“There are going to be some really successful and sizable businesses that are being developed right now. There’s overwhelming evidence of that already,” Boggett said. “What’s important is that there’s a huge amount of money going in at all stages of the market.” Compared to just a few years ago, the number of venture funds that have acknowledged space as a growth area has exploded. Previously, there were just ”a handful” globally that had expressed marked interest, Boggett said. “Now I think it’s safe to say that the majority of the leading venture funds have all made investments in the space tech sector,” he said. (11/24)

Vostochny Spaceport Readies for Second Launch (Source: Tass)
Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome is gearing up for its second launch. The launch site, in Russia's Far East, will host the launch of a Soyuz-2 rocket early Tuesday carrying a Russian weather satellite and a number of secondary payloads. It will be the first launch from the facility since its inaugural launch, also of a Soyuz, in April 2016. (11/26)

A Legal Guide to Space War (Source: Space Daily)
A war in outer space sounds like the stuff of science fiction but it is something we need to consider. Its impact on everybody on Earth and its implications for future human space exploration would be devastating. Right now, there are laws that are relevant to the prospect of war in space, but currently it is unclear exactly how these might be applied. We and our colleagues from around the world - including experts from Australia, Canada, the United States, Russia and China - are undertaking a multi-year project to provide a definitive guide on how law applies to military uses of outer space.

The aim is to develop a Manual on International Law Applicable to Military uses of Outer Space (MILAMOS) that covers times of tension and outright hostility. The ultimate goal is to help build transparency and confidence between space-faring states. This should reduce the possibility of a war in space, or if it does happen, reduce the impact on the space infrastructure that we have all come to rely on so heavily. (11/27)

NASA to Test Parachute-Like Device for Returning Payloads From Space (Source: I4U)
On Nov.12, NASA launched a satellite to the International Space Station from its Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. After a brief stay aboard ISS, the TechEdSat-6 satellite has been released into the low-Earth orbit to demonstrate a critical technology that may allow safe return of spacecrafts from deep space missions.

TechEdSat-6 is carrying an updated version of the Exo-Brake – a parachute like device deployed from the rear of an object to increase the drag. It is regarded as a specially designed device that operates at extremely low pressures. The device will provide controlled re-entry of small spacecraft to Earth from space and a landing on a desired target without the use of fuel.

his is the fourth in a continuing series of tests, with each one deals with a different or improved version of Exo-Brake. If successful, the device could replace the more complicated rockets that are normally used during the re-entry phase. The Exo-Brake was initially tested on balloons and sub-orbital rockets. In November 2013, NASA launched the first Exo-Brake ‘parachute flight test from the ISS. (11/25)